Birthday Girl
Even if you don’t do birthday parties, I think it’s written in stone somewhere that you have to have a 1st Birthday Party for your precious little one. That doesn’t necessarily mean an all singing, all dancing magic show / cake fest but could just be close friends and family over for afternoon tea.
We’ve had both types, but there are some common elements:
Balloons
A childrens party isn’t a childrens party without balloons. Hours and hours of entertainment way after the party is over, it’s worth spending a little more on quality latex balloons which won’t pop so easily, or even going for foil balloons. They can be used for numerous games, rubbed and stuck onto childrens heads or just bobbed around in the air. As always with balloons, if any pop make sure you dispose of the remnants quickly to avoid a choking hazard.
Cake
No matter what your thoughts are on healthy eating, you’ve got to have a cake for a 1st birthday party. One bonus is that your child is too young to demand a ‘character’ cake, so instead hire or buy a number 1 tin to bake your cake, or simply provide a stack of cute cupcakes which are much more child friendly to handle.
Guests & Venue
Who you invite is completely up to you, but given that your little one is just a year old and probably easily overwhelmed it’s worth giving this some careful consideration. We’ve had a great 1st Birthday party in our garden (June birthday) as there was lots of space on the decking for a table and chairs, with room on the grass for littl’uns to play.
For our daughters combined naming ceremony and birthday in November we hired a small church hall which had a nice spacious room for playing and joined kitchen / dining area. This cost just £20 for the afternoon, but was really worth it because any spills could just be wiped up easily and there was lots of room for everyone to have their own space and no furniture for little ones to trip over.
Timing
One critical element is what time of day to have the party. Most 1 year olds will still have at least one nap during the day, so plan the party to start just after a nap, rather than keeping an overtired child up (and then overstimulating them…not a good combo). If you’re inviting guests, specify a start and finish time so that it doesn’t drag on.
Entertainment
Luckily one year olds don’t need much entertainment aside from balloons and some music. There are some great kids music CD’s available or select a favourite playlist from your MP3 player. Lastly, don’t forget to take lots of pictures and consider having a photo guest book. You can ask guests to write a 1st birthday message for your little one and maybe some advice for growing up, or a little story about something you’ve shared during their first year. Whatever you write, it will make a fantastic keepsake.
